This invention relates to game playing methods for gaming machines such as slot machines and video poker machines. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods of allowing game players to select prizes on gaming machines.
There are a wide variety of associated devices that can be connected to a gaming machine such as a slot machine or video poker machine. Some examples of these devices are lights, ticket printers, card readers, speakers, bill validators, coin acceptors, display panels, key pads, and button pads. Many of these devices are built into the gaming machine. Often, a number of devices are grouped together in a separate box that is placed on top of the gaming machine. Devices of this type are commonly called a top box. Typically, each top box is designed specifically for a game title.
Typically, the gaming machine controls various combinations of devices. These devices provide gaming features that augment the features of the gaming machine. Further, many devices such as top boxes are designed to be removable from the gaming machine to provide flexibility in selecting the game features of a given gaming machine.
An important feature of a gaming machine is a programmed pay-out table. Typically, the pay-out table relates the outcome of a game on the gaming machine to a particular prize associated with the outcome of the game. For example, a pay-out table on a slot machine might specify the required pay-out when a play results in three cherries. The pay-out can vary depending upon how many coins are played; e.g., the pay-out is 10 coins when one coin is wagered in the game, 20 coins when two coins are wagered in the game and 40 coins when three coins are wagered in the game. The pattern of relating an outcome to the pay-out, which may be a function of the wager amount, is usually displayed or described for all of the potential outcomes of a game. Often a part of a pay-out table is displayed on a gaming machine. In fact, many gaming machine features including the lights and the display panels may be utilized to draw a players attention to the pay-out table to heighten the players interest in playing a game.
The odds of a particular outcome of a game on a gaming machine may be a function of the rules of the game or may be designated by the operator of the gaming machine. For example, the odds of obtaining a certain poker hand on a video poker machine may be a known function of the possible combinations of cards in a standard 52 card playing deck. However, for a slot machine, the odds of a particular outcome of a slot game on a video or mechanical slot machine may be increased or decreased for a particular machine. The odds and pay-out usually remain fixed for a particular gaming machine so long as it is programmed to play a particular game.
For a particular game on a gaming machine, a maximum prize or pay-out will be offered. This maximum prize or jackpot will usually correspond to the outcome of a game on a gaming machine that has the lowest odds of occurring. For example, on a video poker machine, a jackpot is usually offered when the outcome of a game is a royal flush. This is because the royal flush typically has the lowest odds of occurring during a particular game of video poker. The maximum prize offered may be also a function of the wager amount. For example, on a video poker machine, a jackpot may only be offered when the outcome of a game is a royal flush and the maximum wager on a game has been made.
For a single gaming machine, the jackpot is usually cash or a particular prize. For example, for a slot machine with a maximum wager of 3 coins, the jackpot might be 5,000 coins when 3 coins are wagered on a particular game. As another example, for a video poker machine, with a maximum wager of 3 coins, the jackpot might be a car when 3 coins are wagered. Usually, the jackpot, the pay-out table and the odds for each outcome in the pay-out table are fixed on a single gaming machine and may not be changed by the player.
For multiple gaming machines linked by a network, the jackpot on a single gaming machine may vary in time. For example, the amount of money entered into a group of gaming machines can be pooled together to provide a larger jackpot for groups of gaming machines linked together as part of a wide area progressive network or a casino area network. As money is entered into an individual gaming machine, this information can be relayed over the communication network to a central location where the total amount of money in the jackpot is tracked for the group of gaming machines linked together. The information on the total jackpot, which changes with time, can be sent out over the wide area progressive network or casino area network to display signs displaying the jackpot amount. Thus, the jackpot amount for a gaming machine linked to a wide area progressive network or casino area network will increase with time until the jackpot is reset. However, the odds of winning the jackpot remain fixed.
Disadvantages of the current method for offering prizes and pay-outs on a gaming machine is that the jackpot and the odds of winning the jackpot are fixed when a player initiates a game on the gaming machine. Further not all valuable prizes are universally appreciated. Some players may be more motivated to win cash and others to win cruises or automobiles. The fixed jackpot and odds of winning the jackpot may discourage game play in certain situations. For example, when the jackpot for a slot machine is a motorcycle, some players may not play a game on the slot machine because the players are not interested in winning a motorcycle. As another example, after a jackpot is won on a group of machines linked by a wide area progressive network, the jackpot on the machines usually reverts to some minimum amount. Some players may avoid playing these gaming machines while the jackpot is small because the maximum winnings are so small. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a game playing methodology for gaming machines which allows a player to select the prizes or jackpot that may be won on a particular gaming machine where the odds of winning the prize or jackpot are a function of the prize selected.
Another disadvantage of the current method of offering prizes in pay-outs on a gaming machine results from the difficulty in changing the prizes associated with individual machines. Often casinos find that particular arrangements of gaming machines, each with different prizes, on the casino floor maximize play. Specifically, games may be placed in certain locations on the floor to attract customers into the casino and maximize game play on the various gaming machines. For example, a gaming machine offering a particular prize, which is popular, might be placed near the door to attract customers into the casino. In fact, the distribution of gaming machines on a casino floor is sometimes considered a proprietary secret of casinos.
Over time, what was once a very enticing arrangement becomes less interesting to players. However, play can be increased again by rearranging the layout of gaming machines on the casino floor. Unfortunately, changing the distribution of prizes on the casino floor requires that someone physically move the gaming machines to different locations. This can be a very tedious and time-consuming exercise. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a game playing methodology for gaming machines which allows the prizes offered on each gaming machine to be changed more easily.